Fruit and Vegetables

1. Fruit and Vegetables Should be eaten:

2. Fruit and vegetables are very good sources of fibre (NSP) and vitamins and minerals Most people do not eat enough of these foods to get a balanced diet Why? Vitamin C - lots of fruit and vegetables are very good providers of this vitamin - we need it every day as our body doesn’t store it Vitamin A - most vegetables and some fruit are very good providers of this vitamin Iron and calcium - are found in all fruit and vegetables especially green vegetables and dried fruits

3. The fibre or NSP content of fruit and vegetables is very important for people’s health. We should be eating 18 grams of fibre a day. You can get that from:36 slices of white bread - OR 10 apples - OR just 5 servings of peas! Fruit and vegetables also provide small quantities of: Protein - beans, peas and lentils provide the most and are an important source for vegetarians Carbohydrate - starch and sugar - the amount varies but bananas contain the most - 3 times more than strawberries, nearly twice as much as an apple and more than beans and peas But - did you know? - fruit and vegetables have a water content of between 70% to 95%!

4. Vegetables: Vegetables are eaten • As servings accompanying meat or fish (and with a starchy food such as potatoes or rice) • As the main part of a meal such as stir fry, vegetable curry, or a vegetable bake • Pureed - in a sauce or a soup • As a snack!

5. They can be eaten raw or cooked They can be cooked in different ways: Boiled And they can be prepared in different ways: chiffonade Steamed brunoise Stir fried jardiniere Deep fried Roasted julienne macedoine Or just sliced!

6. Purchasing and storing vegetables • When buying vegetables: • Root vegetables should be firm, not soft or spongy • Green vegetables should be bright in colour, crisp and not wilting • Most people would expect them to be: • Clean and free from soil • Of an even size and shape Vegetables should be stored in a cool, dry, well ventilated room at an even temperature of 4 -8°C (This could be in a chiller) REMEMBER: The fresher the better. Vitamin C is quickly lost during storage as well as cooking

7. Choosing fruit and vegetables to use Fruit and vegetables are nutritious but are also used to add colour - spring onions in mashed potato texture - crunchy apple in a fruit salad and taste - apple sauce with pork - to a dish You should also consider the cost of these foods which is often closely linked to the seasonality of these foods and how many food miles have been used to bring them to the table

8. Seasonal fruit and vegetables You can get strawberries in the shops all year round Where do they come from? Spain? Italy? South America? All these at different times of the year How many food miles are used to transport them halfway around the world? They are in season in the UK for just 3 months: June, July and August Forced rhubarb is a good fruit to use in January and February - its season - when there is very little choice of other seasonal fruits

9. Most fruit is eaten raw – on its own or cut up and mixed with other fruit Fruit We eat the ‘seeds’ of some fruits but not of others! Fruit can also be pureed (or squeezed) and drunk or used as a sauce Some fruits do need to be cooked such as cooking apples and rhubarb

10. Purchasing and storing Fruit • When buying fruit: • They should be firm according to the type and variety • Whole and of fresh appearance • Clean and free from traces of pesticide and fungicide • Of an even size, colour and shape • Free from bruising and blemishes Hard fruit such as apples should be stored in a cool place Soft fruit such as raspberries should be stored in a cold room or chiller Bananas should not be stored in too cold a place because the skins turn black

11. Seasonal fruit and vegetables You can get strawberries in the shops all year round Where do they come from? Spain? Italy? South America? All these at different times of the year How many food miles are used to transport them halfway around the world? They are in season in the UK for just 3 months: June, July and August Forced rhubarb is a good fruit to use in January and February - its season - when there is very little choice of other seasonal fruits